Pakistan hospital stormed in deadly attack on mosque survivors

Gunmen stormed a Pakistani hospital where doctors were treating the victims of an earlier suicide attack on Monday, killing at least six people in an attempt to free a militant being treated there, officials said.

Rescue workers move the body of a victim who was killed when gunmen attacked Jinnah Hospital in Lahore.Photo: REUTERS

By Farzana Fiaz in Lahore and Rob Crilly

12:05AM BST 01 Jun 2010

The assault came three days after two teams of Islamist extremists armed with guns, grenades and suicide vests killed more than 80 worshipers belonging to a minority Muslim sect.

One of the captured militants and about 30 survivors of the Friday attack were being treated at Jinnah Hospital in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore.

Witnesses said visitors, hospital staff and security guards were killed when at least three gunmen dressed in police uniforms opened fire shortly before midnight.

"They barged into the hospital building and opened indiscriminate fire," said Javed Ikram, chief executive of the hospital.

Armoured police vehicles raced to the scene as one militant climbed on to the roof and began shooting at officers.